Clutter FREE Me Day 4: Closet Buster Part 1

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Many times, for whatever reason, the closet is the messiest part of the room. If you have a small closet, you have less space to organize, so every little item can't have it's own designated space. This means that purses and belts and shoes can just get crammed in. If you have a big closet this could be a problem also. The floor can house a host of things: clothes, shoes, bags, etc. So it's hard to get away from a disorganized closet, unless.....

You get your habits in order. Remember, organization is a state of mind. It takes practice and consistency. Psychologists say that it takes 21 days or 28 times of doing something consecutively to break a habit. This is why I wanted to do this organization series for people who are organizing challenged :O If you're unorganized, it's not going to be easy, but I tell you, it CAN be done!

So, I  have broken up organizing the closet in two parts. It can be quite a task, so you may need a little more time. Today, I'll be giving you tips on how to get your clothes in order. And tomorrow: accessories including scarves, belts, and shoes! I left the closet for the end of the week, just in case you may need to continue organizing through the weekend.


Step 1: Take your clothes out in one section at a time.
Some people say to take ALL your clothes at once, but that's just too dang overwhelming for me. It's easier to organize your clothes in sections just in case you need to take a break from it or get interrupted by something then you won't have to come back to such a huge mess.

Step 2: As you are sorting through your clothes, create 3 piles:

• Keep
• Giveaway/Donate
• Storage

Keep what you know you want to wear and know you'll wear. Giveaway clothes that you think a friend or sibling would want, but you no longer need, or donate to those less fortunate. Select items that you want to keep, but you may not need in your closet at the time, and put them in storage.

*I may not wear an item as is, but I like to re-design my clothes, or repurpose the fabric for some other project I got goin on, so I put those kind of clothes in storage.

Step 3: After you've gone through all your sections, hang your clothes up grouped in a way that's best for you

1. You can sort your clothes by type of clothing like skirts, tops, pants, etc

2. You can sort them by outfits that would work well together (not my fave)

Or

3. You can sort them by color (my fave:)

I use a combination of 1 and 3. I have my clothes sorted by type of clothing and then sort those types by color. The good 'ol ROY G BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) from elementary works great. Of course you must also account for gradients of these colors. Ex. pink would go after red.

The only thing you need to do to make sure you keep your closet clean is to hang your clothes up immediately when you take them off. We all have our days when we don't feel like hangin' them up or are in a rush, but when you do, try not to wait a week or so until you do finally hang them.

Tips for organizing your closet

• No More Wire Hangers! (in Mommy Dearest voice please) 

I really hate them, they are so flimsy and are always gettin tangled up into something. I know I said this series was going to be about inexpensive solutions to organization, but no-slip hangers, covered in that velvet material (shown above), are a necessary splurge. Not only does it bring uniformity to your wardrobe, but I can't remember the last time I found a top on the floor because it fell off the hanger. That rarely happens with the no- slip hangers, so check em out (You can find them on QVC, HSN, and at department stores like Ross and TJ Maxx).

•  It's So Hard To Say Goodbye 

The shoes you see to your left and right were some of my favorites. They were THE perfect black flats, and on top of that my honey bought them for me on our honeymoon, so they had sentimental value. BUT I had to toss them. One day the medallion fell when I was at recess with my students. When I noticed one was missing, I had them search the field like scavengers lookin for their next meal. lol. But, unfortunately we never found it.

I kept on to the shoes because one of the shoes (with the medallion in tact) was so beautiful, but it had no partner. I had to face the facts that I would never find that medallion or even be able to repair the one shoe.

So, I say this to emphasize that you need to get rid off stuff every once in a while. Especially to make room for new things. The rule of thumb is that for every new item you bring to your closet, toss one out--preferably by giving it away. I will say that I don't always abide by this one:)

• Back, Back, Forth, and Forth

If you do have trouble deciding what to give away, then when you put all your clothes back in your closet, put each item in with the hangers backwards. So, the hook should be open facing you, instead of "closed" normally. (Hope that makes sense) After you wear that item then hang it back in the correct way. By the end of the year, whatever clothes are still backwards then you give those way:) 

 I don't use this tip because my style goes through phases. I will have clothes I haven't worn in 2 years, and then pull it out and wear it in a way I hadn't before. But it works for some, so thought I'd put it out there.

Last one!

• We Be Jammin'

Find your favorite playlist, hook that ipod up to the speakers, and jam while you clean! You'll be dancin and singin so hard that cleaning your closet won't even seem like work:) 

Ok ladies and gents, that's all I got today. Tomorrow: Organizing Accessories. Scarves, and Belts, and Shoes Oh My!

What gets you motivated to clean your bedroom or closet?

Speak up, the people want to know!

A Bientot...!